Determinants of Attack Players in High-level Men’s Volleyball

This study aims at analysing probabilistic relationships predicting the outcomes relating to attack players in elite-level men’s volleyball. Nineteen matches from the 2006 Men’s World Championships were notated and the tactical indicators regarded the space-, task-, playerand efficacy-related dimensions of selected game actions (reception, set and attack) played in side-out. A multinomial logistic regression was applied, with the level of significance determined at .05. Results showed that the most relevant cues for predicting the selected attack player were related with aspects of setting (setting zone, setter position, setter type), positioning of the middle player and reception player. Overall, the selection of the attack player is highly predictable and can be anticipated through analysing a number of visual cues previous to the attack. Knowing such patterns will enhance the rate of success of the defending teams, while the attacking teams should try to create strategies of using each set of game constraints in different manners, thus diminishing the possibilities of the opponents to anticipate their actions.